1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to an electronic apparatus applied e.g. to a stamp-making apparatus for physically (photochemically) processing a stamp body mounted in a body thereof as a workpiece based on internal data for making a stamp, and a method of processing a workpiece by the use of the electronic apparatus as well as a method of guiding operation of the electronic apparatus performed by the use of an operating element thereof.
2. Prior Art
As is generally known, there are various types of stamps having different shapes (particularly, stamp surfaces). Therefore, when a stamp is made (i.e. a stamp image is engraved) on a stamp surface of a stamp body as a workpiece by the use of a stamp-making apparatus, it is required to process or produce data (internal data) in a manner suitable for each stamp surface to be processed or engraved. However, if the data is processed uniformly for all types of stamp bodies, details of data processing are required to conform to data having the largest number of processing items, so that depending on the size of a stamp surface, part of the data processing becomes useless, which results in waste of processing time. Further, there can be cases where the input data is found to be unsuitable for the stamp surface, and all the data processing as well as user's data entry operations are in vain. In such a case, a sequence of operations by the user for the data processing have to be carried out all over again.
Further, if data entry is permitted before a stamp body is mounted as a workpiece, there is a possibility that data processed is unsuitable for the stamp surface of a stamp body mounted thereafter, resulting in waste of labor and time similarly to the above case. Moreover, it is likely that there will be supplied in the future stamp bodies having shapes different from the predetermined ones of stamp bodies currently supplied. In such an event, if a new stamp body having a different shape from the predetermined ones is mounted, the uniform data processing adapted to the predetermined stamp bodies can no longer set a stamp-image-forming area suitable for the new stamp body, which will make it impossible to make a stamp therefrom.
A conventional stamp-making apparatus makes a stamp by exposing a stamp surface made of ultraviolet-curing resin to ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period via a mask having a stamp image formed thereon in a predetermined manner, and thereafter washing the stamp surface with water to remove uncured portions of the ultraviolet-curing resin to thereby engrave a stamp image on the stamp surface. An exposure time period required for properly curing the ultraviolet-curing resin depends on the ambient temperature, so that if the exposure time period is fixed, undesired results can occur. Further, it is likely that various kinds of suitable ultraviolet-curing resins having different photosensitivities to ultraviolet rays will be produced in the future. Therefore, the exposure time period set in a manner exclusively suitable for a specific kind of ultraviolet-curing resin is likely to make the stamp-making apparatus unsuitable for stamp bodies using such new kinds of ultraviolet-curing resins.
Even if the above problems are overcome, due to complicated operations required therefor, a user can find it difficult to operate the apparatus, and wastefully take time to operate the same properly. Moreover, if the apparatus is erroneously operated by the user, there is a fear of a stamp body being wasted. This problem will be particularly serious when the stamp body is expensive. Supposedly, an owner's manual for the electronic apparatus will be helpful in reducing erroneous operations by the user, but, still no doubt, the manual operation of the apparatus will be extremely troublesome.